Stamp and envelop moistener.



F. W. GRANGER.

STAMP AND ENVELOP MOISTENBR. APPLIOATIONIIILED JUNE 15, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18,1910.

inventor:

\ Atiys,

UNITE STATES PATET FRANK W. GRANGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0FONE-HALF T0 HENRY A. CLARK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STAMP AND ENVELOP MOISTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 438,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK V. GRANGER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county ofKings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Stamp and Envelop Moisteners, of which the following isa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to stamp or envelop moisteners, and moreparticularly to a type thereof adapted for desk use.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter wherein an absorbent moistening pad will be maintained in afixed position and constantly supplied with water, or other moisteningmeans, by capillary action, and a platen will be spring-sustained abovesaid moistening pad in a position to be readily depressed toward same toexert the necessary pressure upon a stamp or envelop to secure thatintimate contact of the moistening pad therewith to insure a thoroughdampening.

of the gum or mucilage thereon.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character whereinthe platen will normally be so raised as to allow a clear field betweenit and the moistening pad for the insertion of an envelop or strip ofstamps, and, when depressed, will not only serve to secure the desiredcontact of the moistening pad and envelop-flap, or stamps, but willsteady the device and permit the manual withdrawal of said envelops orstamps from between the said platen and the moistening-pad withoutlikelihood of tearing or mutilating the same.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character whereinthe reservoir will be so covered as to protect articles being moistenedin the device, as well as the user, and, at the same time, engage,compress and retain the moistening pad in a manner to hold the exposedsurface thereof perfectly stiff so as to prevent said pad from eitherslipping into the reservoir or being pulled therefrom while in use. Anda still further object is to provide a device of this character whichwill be simple in construction, compact in form, and inexpensive toproduce.

The invention consists, primarily, in the combination of a stamp andenvelop moistener of a reservoir and moistening pad projectingthereinto, means holding said pad against movement, pivotal arms mountedabove said reservoir and said pad, a platen rotatably mounted in saidarms at a point whereby it will contact with said pad when depressed,and means normally raising such arm, and in such other novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth anddescribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims heretoappended.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a stamp orenvelop moistener embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,with the platen roller partly broken away in the center; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section; and Fig. 4 is a detail on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a reservoir ortank is indicated at a. Preferably, this tank will be composed of heavymolded glass and may have any desired configuration, preferably beingsquare, to provide an extended base and avoid side-toppling of thedevice in use. The top edge of two sides of said base, as indicated ata, is rabbeted to form a seat for the closure-cap or cover 6, and oneside edge thereof is grooved, as at o to receive the edge of said coverZ), and not only form a seat therefor but to prevent said lid liftingfrom the reservoir when the device is in use.

The cover I) is preferably of metal and closes the entire open top ofthe reservoir a excepting toward one edge thereof, where space is leftthrough which protrudes a moistening pad 0 preferably composed of athick sheet of felt, which, in addition to having the desired absorbentqualities, is capable of such compression as to permit it to be heldfirmly in place, and will resist the ordinary conditions of use to anextent to give durability to the device. The fact that the lower end ofthis pad is always submerged in water will make it sufficiently moist atall times to avoid the accumulation and caking of the mucilage or gum,which will accumulate upon the top thereof through the continued use ofthe device. The pad 0 is held firmly between one side of the reservoir aand a flange d, pendent from and extending across substantially theentire width of the cover Z), the depth of said flange being sutlicientto give the desired surface contact between the retaining means for saidpad and the pad, and, at the same time, compressing same without cuttinginto the substance of the pad. The top of the pad 0 projects above thetop of the reservoir a and the cover t), that portion thereof engaged bysaid flange (Z being compressed to prevent any movement of the pad.

Mounted above the pad 0 and reservoir a are a plurality of oppositelydisposed arms 6, spaced apart substantially the width of the said pad.These arms are pivotally mounted relative to said reservoir preferablyby means of bearings 7 carried by the cover 6, the material of whichsaid cover is made facilitating such attachment, and avoiding thatcomplicated structure which would be necessary were it attempted toattach said arms directly to aglass base. The outer ends of the arms ahave mounted therein a platen roller 9, preferably of wood, althoughvulcanized rubber, glass, or other substance may be substituted in lieuthereof, the point of said arms on which said platen is mounted beingsuch as to bring said platen upon the upper surface of the pad 0 whenthe arms are depressed. Said platen is permitted to rotate freely insaid arms so that suflicient n-essure may be exerted upon an envelopiiap, or strip of stamps by said platen and said envelop or stamps maybe drawn across said pad while such pressure is thereon withoutencountering that resistance which would be present were the platen 9held sta tionary. In order to permit the depression of said platen 9 soas to result in an equal distribution of the pressures exerted therebyalong the entire length of the pad 0, and at the same time give suchrigidity to the arms a as to prevent any distortion of the platenroller, 1 provide a crosshead h rigidly attached to or forming a part ofsaid arms 6 and extending from arm to arm adjacent to said rollerwhereby both said arms may be simultaneously forced downwardly. To avoidany inconvenience to the user of the device, I make these cross-heads ofa width sufficient to give a good contact surface upwardly.

To avoid the inconvenience which would be attendant upon raising theplaten each time it is desired to use the moistener, and permit therapid moistening of envelops or stamps, I support the arms 6 upon aspring 2', one end of which is secured to the cover Z) and the other endof which bears upon the cross-head it. This spring normally tends toraise the arms a, the platen g and cross-head it, but said parts may bereadily depressed against the tension of said spring.

In assembling the device, the absorbent;

pad 0 is first placed in the forward edge of the reservoir 64 and oneedge of the cover Z) inserted in the groove 0 with the flange (Z incontact with the said pad. The cover is then permitted to drop upon theseat provided by the rabbets a, that slight forward thrust necessary tocompress the cap 0 being given to it while it is being so seated. Thearms 6 and their appurtenances will thus be simultaneously attached tothe reservoir (5 and the platen 9 will be properly positioned relativeto said pad. The spring i, as heretofore described, will normally raisethe arms a and the platen g, leaving a clearance between said memberswhereby the flap of an envelop, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,or a strip of stamps may be readily inserted between these two members,the gummed or coated side being placed next to the pad 0. hen theenvelop or stamps are so placed, the free end thereof is grasped in onehand and the other hand is used to press downward upon the cross-head h,and thus force the platen 9 into engagement with said tlap or stamps,and hold them in this position while the envelop or stamps are drawnoutwardly. It will be readily observed that the pressure exerted isalways under control of the user, so that there is no necessity fortearing or mutilating the envelop or stamps, or exerting sutlicientpressure to remove the gum or mucilage therefrom instead of simplymoistening same. As the envelop or stamps are drawn outwardly, the flap9 has a peripheral travel equaling the lineal travel of said envelop orstamps, thus permitting the exertion of sutlicient pressure without. asabove stated, causing that frictional binding which would tend to tearor mutilate the envelop or stamps. Immediately when the envelop orstamps are free of the pad 0 or platen g, the cross-head it and arms 6are released, the spring 2' immediately restoring these parts to normalpreparatory to the next operation of the device.

It will be observed that the device herein described can be operatedwith great rapidity, and that this construction is such as topractically prevent any disarrangement from the mere use thereof. Theconstruction is also such as to permit of the economical production ofthe device.

It is not my intention to limit the inven tion to the precise details ofconstruction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent thatsuch may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. It is not my intention, however, to claim broadly amoistening device employing an absorbent pad and a 1'0- tary platen,although I believe it to be new in a device of this character to soconstruct and arrange these parts as to afford that extensive contactingarea between these parts.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to haveprotected by Letters Patent is 1. In a stamp and envelop moistener, thecombination of a reservoir, a laterally extended moistening padprojecting thereinto, means holding said pad against movement, pivotalarms mounted above said reservoir and said pad, a cross-head attached tosaid arms whereby a bearing is provided by means of which said arms maybe simultaneously depressed, a platen roller of sub stantially the samewidth as said pad rotatably mounted in said arms at a point whereby itwill contact with said pad when said arms are depressed, and meansnormally raising said arms.

2. In a stamp and envelop moistener, the combination of a reservoir, alaterally extended moistening pad projecting thereinto, a closure capfor said reservoir having a pendent flange adapted to engage said padand press it against the wall of said reservoir and hold it againstmovement, pivotal arms mounted above said reservoir and said pad, aplaten roller of substantially the same width as said pad rotatablymounted in said arms at a point whereby it will contact with said padwhen depressed, and means normally raising said arms.

3. In a stamp and envelop moistener, the combination of a reservoir, alaterally extended moistening pad projecting thereinto, a closure caphaving a pendent flange adapted to engage and compress said pad againstsaid reservoir and hold it against movement, bearings carried by saidclosure cap, a plurality of oppositely disposed arms pivotally mountedin said bearings, a cross-head attached to said arms, whereby a bearingis provided by means of which said arms may be simultaneously depressed,a spring mounted on said cap, a bearing upon said cross-head normallyraising said arms, and a platen roller of substantially the same widthas said pad, rotatably mounted in said arms at a point whereby it willcontact with said pad when depressed.

4:. In a stamp and envelop moistener, the combination of a rectangularreservoir having two of its upper edges rabbeted and a third edgegrooved, a laterally extended moistening pad projecting thereintoadjacent to the remaining edge thereof, a closure cap one edge of whichis adapted to fit into said groove, two other edges of which are adaptedto rest upon said rabbets, and the remaining edge of which is providedwith a pendent flange adapted to engage and compress said pad againstsaid reservoir and hold it against movement, hearings on said cap,oppositely disposed arms pivotally mounted in said bearings, across-head attached to said arms, whereby a bearing is provided by meansof which said arms may be simultaneously depressed, a spring carried bysaid cap and acting against said cross-head to normally raise said arms,and a platen roller of substantially the same width as said padrotatably mounted in said arms, at a point whereby it will contact. withsaid pad when depressed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto atfixed my signature this 26th dayof May, 1908, in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK IV. GRANGER.

Witnesses MYRON GODFREY, E. A. ALLEN.

